Saturdays are a big deal in this house. They probably always will be. Well, unless Sunday becomes a big deal–but please, for the sake of my sanity, let’s keep it at Saturday for a while.
Saturday is Game Day. Show Time. The Big Hurrah. The men work all week long for those 60 minutes. I never knew much about football. I’ve never kept that a secret. I’m the football wife who is learning as she goes. But the greatest learning curve for me has been letting go of my husband.
The first year we were a football family was hard. I mean hard. I’ve never been given any reason to doubt J. He’s never been anything to me but 100% honest and trustworthy. But I just could’t wrap my head around why he wasn’t home at 2AM. I’d panic. Assume there was someone else. Convince myself he was up to no good. I mean, no one works until 2AM. Football coaches game plan and have practice. The end. So I got my hands on the practice schedule. And I’d foolishly expect him to walk in the door an hour after practice. And when he wouldn’t, my heart would race.
I didn’t understand.
I couldn’t understand.
Because I didn’t understand football.
This is our third year as a football family. I’ve learned a thing or two about the actual game. I can actively watch and have a general idea of what’s happening. But what I’ve learned is, in all honesty, it has very little to do with the 60 minutes of playing time and much more to do with growing. They aren’t just coaching these guys how to carry a ball (although, we could stand to get a little better at that), they’re teaching them how to carry themselves.
It’s easy to forget sometimes. This week I wasn’t a football wife. I was a football wife. I saw him for one evening. The only meal we’ll eat together this week is the one we wives will work hard on to feed the coaches tonight. But I can’t be angry. I can’t feel resentful even if I want to. Because my husband worked until 2AM last night and was back in the office this morning by 9AM. It’s Sunday. And he believes in it. I could learn a thing or two from football. And from the coaches. It’s easy to curl in when life doesn’t go your way. It’s easy to feel like giving up when it’s one loss after another. And instead they stay. They fight. They work hard day after day striving to find the way that works best for them to bring everyone to victory.
And then it just hit me.
It’s not about the game at all.
Oh my goodness. My hormones are insane because this post brought tears to my eyes. 🙂 You are a fantastic FOOTBALL wife and a great support for your hubby.